What’s The Difference Between Body Contouring and Fat Reduction?

You may have been curious about the difference between body contouring and fat reduction, or perhaps you were under the impression that the two essentially mean the same thing. You are certainly not alone! Our team at UNC Aesthetic, Laser, and Burn Center in North Carolina is here to look a little closer at the differences between these two different procedures and perhaps help you decide if one of these treatments (or both!) would help restore your confidence and reach your body goals.

Body Contouring

Body contouring is designed to help shape and tone your body by eliminating sagging skin and some fat. A person often decides to seek out a body contouring procedure after losing weight to help slim down their figure and increase comfort by eliminating excess skin left behind. Tip: often the word “tuck” or “lift” in a name is an indicator that a procedure focusses on skin tightening. UNC Aesthetic, Laser, and Burn Center offers a number of body contouring procedures including tummy tuck, arm lift, body lift (for improvements with your overall body shape), thigh lift, Brazilian Butt Lift, and male breast reduction. A body contouring procedure often is chosen when the goal of the procedure is to tighten the skin.

Fat Reduction

Fat Reduction procedures focus on removing pockets of fat on your body to create the slim figure that you have always wanted. Here at UNC Aesthetic, Laser, and Burn Center, fat reduction procedures use the popular liposuction procedure. Liposuction can be performed almost anywhere you have unwanted fat including the stomach, legs, thighs, knees, ankles, breasts, arms, face, back, and chest. If only seeking a fat reduction procedure through liposuction, your UNC plastic surgeon will make a small incision and insert a cannula (a small tube used in liposuction procedures) which will remove the fatty tissues underneath the skin. A fat reduction procedure with liposuction is often chosen when a person wishes to remove excess fat.

What If I Want To Remove Fat And Excess Skin?

Oftentimes, body contouring procedures and liposuction are performed at the same time if clients have the goal to eliminate fat from a specific area and tighten surrounding skin to achieve a slimming result. Our plastic surgeons at UNC Aesthetic, Laser, and Burn Center will help you navigate your available options if you are contemplating both procedures.